11/22/22, 4:58 PM The ‘extraordinary evolution of Myanmar media’ | Frontier Myanmar Journalists and activists protest against the arrest of two Reuters journalists in Yangon in 2018. (Frontier) Changing attitudes Before the coup, the anti-Rohingya sentiment that used to be commonly expressed in print, online and in the community has been undergoing a re-evaluation. A Twitter campaign in June 2021 with the hashtag #Black4Rohingya had people from Myanmar saying they’d been “brainwashed” by Buddhist nationalist rhetoric and committing to supporting the Rohingya going forward. Burmese-language media and Facebook users can now often be seen referring to the Rohingya by their self-identified name, when previously they would have been referred to with the derogatory term “Bengalis” implying they are illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. However, the change in attitude from the media is not as widespread as activists would like. “Although media outlets have changed their editorial position and are now using the word ‘Rohingya’, stories are still fairly rare and are relegated to their foreign affairs coverage of Bangladesh or the Hague,” said Yin Yadanar Thein from Free Expression Myanmar. Attitudes towards the media itself evolved during the 10 years of improved press freedom, though it wasn’t always towards the positive. For large parts of the NLD reign, media, especially independent media, was seen as an antagonistic force out to undermine both the civilian government and the military. “For ten years, people in Myanmar have had the opportunity to live in a country where the press was relatively free. This cannot be undone. They have learned to make a difference between government propaganda on one hand, and media outlets which are driven by journalistic ethics on the other. As a result, people just can’t take misleading information seriously anymore, which makes true journalists fundamental allies in providing the public with trustful news,” said Daniel Bastard from Reporters Without Borders on April 21 via email. Public perceptions shifted following the coup, when the public witnessed the junta targeting journalists. Ko Maung Tha*, a Myanmar man in his early 30s, thinks that people are seeing the journalists in a more positive light. “I believe the public’s perception of the media has become considerably more positive after the coup, as they are the main source of information that the public is able to see in the ongoing crisis, and due to the dangers the journalists faced to get this information and these sources. The SAC’s https://www.frontiermyanmar.net/en/the-extraordinary-evolution-of-myanmar-media/ 5/9